Ian started backstage as an L/X casual at many Tyneside venues in his youth before a job in telecommunications. A mid-career move to CCT Theatre Lighting found him as a spotlight salesman with Silhouettes, controls and projects. Post-CCT he continued to crew on a semi-pro basis, notably with Just FX the pyro people.
Ian is retired now after a long career mostly in Telecommunications which included software support, phone systems and data networks.
During his freelance contractor years with ISDN installed in the home office he started up four automated mailing lists, two of which were entertainment technology related (Tabslist and Cinemation). The mailing lists were eventually eclipsed by more feature-rich online forums such as Blue Room, however Ian continues to keep an eye on the lively Facebook group ‘British Entertainment Technology Archaeology’ (BETA) which has nearly 6,500 members.